Book sales hit a record as children's fiction gains in popularity

Thursday, 27 April 2017 14:27964

Children's fiction helped drive UK book sales to a record £3.5bn last year,

the Publishers Association (PA) has said. The 6% rise came despite the waning popularity of ebooks, which saw sales fall by 3% to £538m last year. Sales of children's books rose 16% to £365m, with the increase due mainly to the purchase of printed works. Readers also flocked to fitness and self-help books, sending non-fiction sales up 9%. Revenues from fiction fell 7%, the PA's annual report said. Including journals, the PA said that the publishing industry - covering books and journals - saw a 7% increase in sales to £4.8bn. Exports rose 6% to £2.6bn, benefiting from a decline in the value of sterling, but also rising in line with domestic growth. Exports of children's books increased 34% to £116m. The export gains reversed three previous years of declines.